Pivot bearing for two connecting rods

Abstract

A pivot bearing suitable for two connecting rods in at least one piston of an internal combustion engine having two crankshafts, includes radial bearing regions that are provided with bolt boreholes and are disposed on either side of a center longitudinal plane of the piston and delimit connecting rod ends, forming an intermediate space. The bearing regions are designed as cylinder bodies having a crucible-like cross-section, of which each cylinder body has a base wall and a bearing ring jacket. The base walls of the two cylinder bodies extend at a distance from each other, and the bearing ring jackets surrounding the base walls are guided away from the base walls in opposite directions. One or more connecting supports run between the base walls. The bearing ring jackets cooperate with the piston boreholes in a rotatably movable manner. The base walls are connected to bearing bushings which are oriented in the axial direction of the pivot bearing and into which the bolt boreholes are incorporated. The pivot bearing is made of a material that brings about a targeted low-weight construction of the pivot bearing, while offering high strength and low wear.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pivot bearing for two connecting rods in at least one piston of an internal combustion engine equipped with two crankshafts driven via the piston and the two connecting rods, the pivot bearing being accommodateable in piston bore holes of the piston, the pivot bearing comprising:
 radial bearing regions that are provided with bolt bore holes and that are disposed on either side of a center longitudinal axis of the piston, the radial bearing regions delimiting the connecting rod ends and forming an intermediate space, and the bolt bores holes being configured to mount connecting rod bolts for ends of the two connecting rods, wherein 
 the radial bearing regions are configured as cylinder bodies having a crucible-shaped cross-section on a side of each cylinder body that face away from a center of the pivot bearing, 
 each cylinder body has a base wall and a bearing ring jacket, with a portion of each bearing ring jacket forming a cylindrical side wall portion of the crucible-shaped cross-section, 
 the base walls of the two cylinder bodies extend at a distance from each other, and 
 the bearing ring jackets surrounding the base walls are guided away from the base walls in opposite directions, 
 one or more connecting supports extend between the base walls, 
 the bearing ring jackets cooperate with the piston bore holes in a rotatably movable manner, 
 the base walls are connected to bearing bushings which are oriented in an axial direction of the pivot bearing into which the bolt bore holes are incorporated, the bearing bushings extending axially away from the center of the pivot bearing into the crucible-shaped cross-section, and 
 the pivot bearing is made of a material that provides a low-weight construction. 
 
     
     
       2. The pivot bearing according to  claim 1 , wherein the material is cast steel for components that have a high load-bearing capacity, statically and dynamically, and are subjected to especially high wear. 
     
     
       3. The pivot bearing according to  claim 1 , wherein the material used is an ultra-high carbon lightweight steel. 
     
     
       4. The pivot bearing according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 three connecting supports are provided between the base walls of the cylinder bodies, of which two connecting supports are attached in a direction of a piston crown of the piston at a distance from a connecting rod end plane intersecting centers of the connecting rod bolts of the connecting rod ends on the one hand, and at a distance from the center longitudinal axis of the piston on the other hand, and 
 the third connecting support, in the direction of the crankshafts, is disposed spaced from the connecting rod end plane and on the center longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       5. The pivot bearing according to  claim 4 , wherein, originating from a first ring section of the cylinder bodies, which is directed to the piston crown, to a second, opposing ring section of the cylinder bodies, which is directed toward the crankshafts, the base walls of the cylinder bodies diverge in a V-shaped manner so as to form the intermediate space for the connecting rod ends in a defined manner. 
     
     
       6. The pivot bearing according to  claim 1 , wherein the bearing bushings protrude at a defined distance beyond radial delimiting planes of the bearing ring jackets. 
     
     
       7. The pivot bearing according to  claim 1 , wherein each bearing ring jacket on an inside in the region of the bearing bushings is provided with first local thickened sections. 
     
     
       8. The pivot bearing according to  claim 7 , wherein, in a region facing the crankshafts and spaced from the connecting rod end plane, the bearing bushings comprise second thickened sections between the first thickened sections and the bolt boreholes of the bearing bushings. 
     
     
       9. The pivot bearing according to  claim 1 , wherein, originating from the inside of the first ring section, one or more reinforcing ribs are provided in the direction of the bearing bushings. 
     
     
       10. The pivot bearing according to  claim 9 , wherein, on the one hand, at least one of the reinforcing ribs in the center longitudinal axis of the piston runs radially between the inside of the bearing ring jackets and a transverse web that connects the bearing bushings and is located on the connecting rod end plane, and that, on the other hand, multiple further reinforcing ribs combine the inside of the first ring section with the bearing bushings in a secant manner. 
     
     
       11. The pivot bearing according to  claim 1 , wherein the base walls between the connecting rod end plane and the second ring section have one or more through-passages so as to reduce the weight.